Introduction

Grounded in Jesuit and Nursing values, the pre-licensure BSN program offered by the Department of Nursing prepares students to be able to practice as registered nurses in a variety of settings. Students learn to promote health, to care for patients with acute and chronic illnesses, and to support patients and their families at the end of life. The BSN program builds on the curricular themes of servant leadership, social justice, community, and reflective practice. The concept of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) serves as the organizing framework for the curriculum. One application of this concept is that students initially care for individuals with more predictable healthcare needs. As they progress in the program, they learn to care for individuals, families, and populations with increasingly more complex healthcare needs in highly complex organizational settings.

Program Overview

Most students are admitted to the pre-licensure BSN program as freshmen. At the time they submit their applications to Gonzaga University, prospective students indicate their interest in the nursing major. If offered admission to GU, they then undergo a second review by the Nursing Department before being accepted as nursing majors. As freshman nursing majors, students begin the process of completing the GU core requirements and the nursing pre-requisite courses.

Not all students admitted as freshmen can begin the nursing major courses in the fall of the junior year due to availability of quality clinical placements. Students are given the opportunity in the freshman year to request to begin the upper division courses in the fall or spring of the junior year. If more students request the fall semester than can be accommodated, the final determination is based on cumulative GPA in the pre-requisite courses. Students who will be starting the upper division nursing courses in the spring of the junior year have the option of spreading their course work over nine semesters, taking a leave of absence for a semester if prerequisites can be completed within the first four semesters, or applying to study abroad in the fall semester of the junior year.

Current GU freshman or sophomore students who elect to change their majors to nursing are admitted on a space available basis. Information about application deadlines and procedures can be obtained from the Department of Nursing.

Once students begin their upper division nursing courses, they also complete a series of practicum courses that introduce them to professional nursing practice in a variety of healthcare settings. The program also prepares students to take the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) after graduation, which is a requirement for licensure as a registered nurse.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the pre-licensure BSN program is competitive and selective. Not everyone who applies can be accommodated. There are two ways to enter the BSN degree program for initial licensure:

Freshman Admission: The majority of students are admitted to the BSN program as freshmen. In the fall of their senior year in high school, students apply for admission to the BSN program through GU's normal admission process using the Common Application. The decision to admit a student to the BSN program as a freshman is based on consideration of the student's overall portfolio including:

1. Cumulative GPA and grade trends
2. Four years of math and science courses
3. SAT/ACT scores
4. Work or volunteer experience in healthcare
5. One academic letter of recommendation
6. Written essay as well as responses to short answer questions on the application

Information regarding admissions to Gonzaga's Nursing Program will follow notification of acceptance to the University by approximately one month.

During their first two years at Gonzaga, students need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, achieve a minimum grade of "C" (2.0) in all of the nursing pre-requisite courses with the exception of Biology 105 and Chemistry 101 and their respective labs. These two courses must be completed with a minimum grade of "C-." Nursing students are required to complete one year of anatomy and physiology (HPHY 241 and Lab and HPHY 242 and Lab) and a nutrition course (HPHY 244) from GU or equivalent courses as determined by the Nursing Department chair.

If a student receives less than the required grade in any of the pre-requisite courses, the student may retake one of these courses one time only. Continuation to the upper division BSN program is contingent upon maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Admission as a "Major-Ready" Student:

It is not uncommon for a student admitted to another major to decide during either the freshman year or later to change his or her major to nursing. A smaller number of "major-ready" GU students may be admitted in spring of each year if space is available.

Eligible GU students will be admitted on a space available basis, and the following criteria will be examined:

Cumulative GPA with particular emphasis on science courses

Completion of a minimum of 45 semester credits (meaning applicants will have completed at least three semesters of course work)

Completion of GU nursing pre-requisites (or the student is enrolled in the required pre-requisites at the time of application)

Earned a grade of "C" or better in all nursing pre-requisite and lower division nursing courses with the exception of Biology 105 and Chemistry 101 and their respective labs. The student must earn a minimum grade of "C-" in these courses.

Only one pre-requisite nursing course may have been repeated one time only.

To be considered for admission to the upper division BSN program, "major-ready" GU students must submit:

A typewritten personal statement addressing the following:
a. Reasons for desiring a BSN degree and for their specific interest in Gonzaga's nursing program
b. Professional goals in nursing after graduation
c. Strengths, leadership experiences, relevant work experiences, community service, and significant accomplishments that are relevant to their future success in the nursing program

Resume following the format outlined in the application packet

Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to the applicant's ability to succeed in the nursing program. At least one recommendation must be from a college professor/instructor. A form for this purpose is included in the BSN application packet.